Three Tips for Making Your Windshield Wipers Last Longer

Your windshield wipers play a major role in your ability to drive safely, but are all too often overlooked. In an effort to save you time and money on replacement blades, we come up with a few maintenance tips to keep your windshield wipers working better for longer.

Don’t use them on a dry surface. Always turn your windshield wipers off before turning off the engine. Your wipers take on extra friction whenever they wipe across a dry windshield, so be diligent about turning them off when wet conditions clear up.

Always scrape ice and snow. Windshield wipers are all too often used as a mechanism to clear built-up ice and snow. The extra weight, friction, and uneven surface cause the rubber blades to wear more quickly. Instead, use your defroster and manually scrape your windshield before employing the wipers.

Clean your wipers and windshield. Help your windshield wipers out, and take a minute to clean the windshield every time you get gas, ensuring the wipers are clearing a clean surface. Also be sure to use a clean cloth or paper towel and water or window cleaning solution to wipe the blades down. Be gentle so that you don’t damage the blade, but you should see that anything that has collected on the wiper’s surface will come right off, leaving a smooth edge.

For more tips, to make your windshield wipers last longer, visit raineater.com.